My Stories of Bombay City

Bombay, in many ways, is a mystery to me. It’s this characteristic place that I’ve explored for almost a decade now. Still, I am nowhere close to knowing all its stories. Bombay is constantly growing, whether under a sea of construction or just its people finding new nooks around town. I think I too have grown up under its gaze, from a child mesmerized by the grand Gateway of India to a young adult still mesmerized by the Gateway of India. I am rooted to Bombay, the city entwined tightly with my own identity.

Stuck in a confluence of British, Portuguese, Dutch, and traditional Indian stories, the history of Bombay can often be overshadowed by its glitzy and metropolitan exterior. As a child, the long Sunday drives to the old Fort area were associated with eating at Bademiya, our favourite kebab restaurant, and ice cream at an old Parsi shop, Rustom’s; always in small celebrations for birthdays or notable achievements. Now, when I visit old Bombay, I am keen to explore every cornice, gargoyle, and column built by the architects who reclaimed the land to build the city I call home. No longer celebrations, but my love for the history of Bombay brings me to Colaba and Fort every Sunday morning. I feel at home walking through the central square of Kalaghoda, under the old banyan tree at Horniman circle, or on the platform of the Victoria Terminus. I feel connected to a community that understands unity. I associate every piece of culture in Bombay with my freedom and nationality, which helps me identify as an Indian.

One of my favourite spots in the city is Ballard Estate, a chance discovery, but one I’ve fallen in love with and obsess over! Almost London-like, the double lane streets and almost no traffic make it an ideal spot for a walk on a Sunday morning. With a canopy of trees and the intoxicating smell of coffee from Brittania, the Irani café, Ballard Estate has just about everything to offer. Not many tourists or even residents know about this area, giving it a secluded feeling that’s perfect when you want to get way! I have often dreamed of driving down, carrying the cycle in tow, and circling this hidden gem.

But Colaba is just the tip of the iceberg – Bandra, Byculla, and Parel (among others) are huge hotspots for history! I remember frequent visits to Lands End in Byculla to study the broken fort. Byculla’s confluence of churches and masjids is only complemented by its historically rich main market area. Parel, in its heyday, was one of the centres of Bombay Mill Activity. It still hosts beautiful compounds with 100-year-old banyan trees, some of them still preserved by ex-mill owners or citizens who value greenery! The hospital areas, King Edward Memorial (KEM), and the Tata Institute, spring from old medical bays and research facilities. KEM’s façade still has intricate Victorian architecture. Under the shade of trees, it is almost movie-like to walk through. 

Bombay history is often defined just by the Gateway. I remember a set comedian Sapan Verma did on Bombay tourism and how he believes there’s not much to see in the city, while naming the Gateway and Marine Drive as the sole tourist attractions. I would disagree. While I understand the general population cannot be obsessed with its history like a particular group of us are, there’s so much more this city has to offer. The Gateway is merely the first layer of centuries of history and human evolution that most people fail to see. I think every street tells a story; each road holds so much history that we can’t comprehend. I remember walking up the street from Kalaghoda to see the headquarters of the Mumbai Police, to spot a very interesting emblem at the top of the 4-storey building. A quick internet search revealed that the pictograph depicted Poseidon, the Greek God of the oceans. The current police headquarters used to be a British naval base back in the day. It’s these intricacies that I want to experience and keep learning about every time I am in the area.

When I talk about stories, I think the power they hold is sometimes lost by the connotations of the word. ‘Story’ could spark ‘tales’ about fictional and metaphorical tortoises and hares but it truly is so much more than that. Stories provide a unique aspect to communication that other media just can’t – emotion! The stories of Bombay are more than just a mere timeline of events that occurred in this city. It’s what each person, past and present, contribute to this city. It’s what Lord Elphinstone, Governor of Bombay, added with his Byculla gardens and estates and what Mr. Ashok of Ashok Vada Pav contributes with his flavor. Small anecdotes, whether it’s the ticket collector on the bus narrating the excuses he’s heard so far, or the pedestrian swearing eloquently because he just cannot hail a cab, all add to the city’s lore. I see the impact these stories have had on me – they make me want to experience the city and its people even more, create my own stories, and inspire others to delve into Bombay as I do.

A part of my journey with stories has been indulging in historical walking, a practice I developed for myself in Bombay. It’s piecing together everything I see around me and adding it to a larger story of my life, one full of adventure. It is incredible to see the budding history community in Bombay. From individuals curating walks, groups like Khaki Tours and the Bards of Bombay, and museums like Sarmaya, it really is an exciting time to be a history aficionado! Gradually, I learned what to look out for in a place, and encouraged by this community, I started my Colaba visits to see more than just the Gateway. The details that I spot on these tours stay with me forever – that one window railing built 200-odd years ago inscribed with a special symbol from Queen Victoria will be etched in my memory! Beautiful synagogues hidden in a labyrinth of streets in Old Woman’s Island or the confusing similar-looking streets of Colaba Causeway are just a few of the attractions I have had the privilege of traversing.